Propeller



J. F. BROWN March 3, 193.6.

PRo'PELLER Filed April 21, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet J. F. BROWN March 3, 1936.

PROPELLER Filed April 21, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 vll March 3, 1936.

l J. F. BRfowN 2,032,790

INVENTOR a BY ATTORNEY March 3, 1936. 1 F BROWN 2,032,790

PROPELLER Filed April 21, 1954 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR /f/o ATTORNEY J. F. BROWN March 3, 1936.

PROPELLER Filed April 2l, 1954 7 sheets-Sheet 5 ,INV ENTOR Jae/m Wwf/"Z272 rozwz,

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J. F. BROWN March 3, 1936.

7 Sheets-Sheet 6 m RW Y j Wm m f Mm n i/l M M March 3, 1936. J, F, BROWN 2,032,790

PROPELLER Filed April 2l, 1934 '7 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTOR 1i/J ATTORNEY Patented Mar; 3, 1936Y t. UNITED STATES PROPELLER Joseph Franklin Brown, New York3 N. Y. Application April 21, 1934, serial Np. '221,694 l 11 Claims.

This invention relates to propellers and is herein illustrated in some detail as embodied in a propeller especially constructed for airplane use and as mounted upon an airplane.

In driving airplanes through air or vessels through water or in lifting helicopters it has hitherto generally proved feasible only to use propellers with xed blades, with the result vthat the propeller drove its plane or vessel only ahead or supported its helicopter stationary and, moreover, worked most eilicientlyfA at only a single speed. According to the present invention a propeller for any of these ps may have devices for varying the pitch of the propeller blades, and

15 may also have devices for causing the pitch of any blade to vary or feather as the turning shaft carries it through the water or air, with the result, for example, that the blade exerts a thrust transverse to its shaft aswell as axially of the l on its driving member so that a rock arm or bail,

fast to the stub shaft Within the shaft hub may be rocked to turn the propeller. blade, thereby altering its pitch. Usually the bail fast on the stub shaft of one propeller blade is journalled on the stub shaft of the other blade, and from each bail at its center extends a link to a slidable collar surrounding the shaft. Whenever the collar slides axially of the shaft it draws on the links and turns the propeller blades identically to vary the pitch.

In the form of the invention herein illustrated 40 the feathering of the propeller blades is effected by tilting the collar as it turns with the drive shaft. By holding the point of tilt stationary as .the drive shaft rotates the point at which the i turning propeller blades feather is held stationary, 4D thus causing the blades to increase or decrease their pitch as' they. successively approach and then pass the point of extreme tilt.

The blade tilted to its sharpest pitch at any moment exerts then a thrust transverse to the drive shaft which is not balanced by an equal opposing transverse thrust of the opposite blade. As a result of this unbalanced side thrust the propeller pushes sideways as well as forwardly. The transverse thrust of the feathering blade action is herein illustrated as shiftable bythe (Cl. 17o-163) pilot vto any angle to the vertical in an airplanep or, correspondingly at any horizontal in a helicopter.

If an airplane is to turn a corner, a. side thrust will turn it at a more acute angle, in less space 5 and less time.

If the airplane has been rising rapidly and stalls or tends to stall, a downward thrust will restore the airplane to a atter course. A

If theairplane is out of balance for any reason 1o the appropriate side thrust or a diagonally downward thrust will restore its balance.

If the motor fails and the blades are revolved by the inertia motion of the plane, feathering the blades will keep the plane in control, or if 15' propellers are still turning from their momentum a lifting thrust by lthere. is obtainable.

lApparently a. properly designed propeller and plane will permit the plane to loop in its own length. v 20 In the form of the invention herein illustrated the plane is provided with two coaxial propellers which are shown as driven by a differential gearing from 'a'single motor. When two identical propellers are' thus driven, the rear propeller 525 working in'the wake of the front will automatically take its share ofV theioad, turning faster through the dierential gearing.

In an airplane, the form of the invention herein illustrated, the feathering of the two propellers 30 is preferably always identical and. is, therefore, eifected by a single control. 'Ihe pitch of the blades of the two propellers in an airplane is also preferably always identical, being usually much steeper than the pitch in a helicopter, and inA an 35 airplane is effected by a single control. Thus it is simple for a pilot to climb with a low pitch, and cruise with a highpitch which increases as the altitude increases. f

In landing the punt can utilize both varying 40 pitch and varying feathering, besides altering the angle of the feathering, and, as a result, has the airplane under a control hitherto deemed impossible. 45

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. Y y

In the accompanyingv drawings:

Figure 1 is a. plan View', partly broken away, of the front of an airplane with the propeller devices 50 of the present invention, partly diagrammatic.

' Figure 2 is a sectional side view of the same on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. f

Figure Bis a fragmentary perspective view of a propeller and some adjacent parts. I 55 Figure4 is a section on the line 4-'4 yof Figure 2. Figure 5 is a sectionon the line l-I of Figure 2. Figure 6 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side view of the propeller blade variable pitch connections with'the propellers diagrammatically shown partly varied from normal.

Figure 8 is a. similar view showing the parts set for feathering. 1

Figure 9 is a diagram to illustrate the feathern ing action.

Figure 10 is a diagram to illitrate varying pitch. v

Figure 11 is a fragmentary vview showing how upward thrust is produced.

Figures 12 and 13 are sections on the lines |2-l2 and |3-I3 of Figure 11. Y

Figure 14 shows the same parts after the propeller has turned 90. Figures 15 and 16 are sections on the lines I.5-i5 and |6'-l6 of Figure 14.-

Figure' 17 is a fragmentary view of parts in position adapted to exert .a right onthe .changing the :mhp: mim.

plane as the propellers turn.

Figures 18 and 19 are sections |8-I8 andiB-IB of'Flgure 17.

Figure Ztl-shows the parts seen in Figure' 17 onthelines when actually producing'the left thrust o n the y i plane as the'propellers turn.

Figures 21 and 22 are sections on the line 2|-2I and 22'22 of Figure 20.*'v

A drive shaft 30, Figure 2, carries| main hub or dished plate 3l forming the bearings 32 for the hulI 33 of a variable pitch propeller blade, 34

and? the hub 35 of-a. secondvariable-pitch propeller blade 36, rotating in the opposite direction.` The rotating drive shaft 33 rotates the plate 3| around with it, because the plate 3| sets against a shoulder 31 on the shaft 30 and is held aglint theshoulder by a' nut 33 screweddown on to 'a Washer39 which lies around .the reduced extension 40 of the s haft ;3|I./-'

The hubs stand as extend iimdiy-rrpm the (gusano ,n, u and ,is provided with aontroi imi: 53, l1, 53. 53, see Figure 1,`and,.for two of the vlinka see Figure '3, each control Alink held by a pivot pin 33 between ears Gl/on its bail andmoved by moving a control collar 62 for the links .56 and 51, and by moving a control collar 63' for the links 53 and 59. For this purpose each control link 456,51, 58,59 is connected by aupivot pin B4 to its respective control collar 62 or B3, thepin passing through ears 65 on the collar. Thus by moving the collar 62' axially of the shaft 30 the ,two links 56 and 5l twist their respective blades 34 and 3B on Atheir hubs 33 and 35, thereby varying the pitch ofthe two blades simultaneously. When the control collar 62 moves axially in a straight line, it altef's the pitchof propeller blades 34 and 36 identically.

To thus ali'fer the pitch of the blades 34 ann 33 there'is-provided a shift sleeve 86, Figure 7,

provided with rigid extensionsf' and 68.' By

pushing the shift sleeve. to the left as is shown pitch of all the propeller blades 34, 36, 45,-' 43 to l l i bearings 32 so that rock arms or turning balls 4ljand 42 may alter the piwh or the 'nis form ofthe invention disclosed herein in detail includes two propellers, for reasons which will the blades A34 and 33 turn in one direction with given Ipitch and speed while the blades 4l and 43 tinn in the opposite direction about same pitch and aspeed which effective result. .As best shown in Figure 3' wie or one biade'uorss and on thehun 35 or 33 of the respective opposing tamthatulungmybanlaauuumtat.

its blade u. n, u or n in the 1mb,

etat

approximately same amount.

'ro' render possible this shifting ofthe shirt 'in Figure 7, the control collars 62 and 63 have sleeve 33, the control collars 62 and 63 are each journalled bearings 69 having respectiverinternal races In and. 1I.

spectively pivoted at and'Ti respectively to The 'in- Y terna! race 13 of thecontrol collar 62 is xed in a, stirrup 'il'havingears I3 and 14-which are re` therigid 'extensions 81 and 6 3 of tbe-shift 'sleeveit a Ina vsomewhat similar manner the .internal race 1| of the control collar 63 is ilxed in a stirrup 11 having ears-'I8 and 'I9 pivotedat 33' and I I especially designedfor a propeller device having two oppositely rotating propellers. Where the structure includes only one propeller, many of the 'parts may" be omitted.' In order to 'enable the rigidextensions 61 and 63 to move clear of other parts'as they shift, .each rigid extension 61 Aand 3l is bent toward the shaft 33 sov that'a stretch 32 of each extension lies near the shaft 3l where 'to theri'gid exnsions'si and sa or the shirttheextensions'iie within ine sti-mips 12 amari,4

butlies far enough from theshaft 30 at the pivotsV '15, 13,.'33 and 3| to ensure free working of the In form of the invention shown l is made for varying the' pitch ofthe propeller blades as the blades turn with the shaft 33.

- VWhere two propellers are provided, as in the form -of the invention illustrated, the propellers prefer` sblyturnin oppositedirectionsand thenthe pitch ofthe blades may be so varied-as to cause them partsseen'inligiuel;

' In the form which-is a two-propeller.A device. the'oontrol collar 32 is tilted from thev nnrmalllgurelpositiontothel'igureposition 34iscai'isedtovaryits-pitchastheshaft33turns ticaily.`inFigui:eli'whichmayaosavoo I within the stream-line Vfuselage 84, see Figure 2, thus thrusting forward a push rod 85 pivoted at 86 to a loose collar 81 surrounding, but spaced from 'the shaft 38.` The collar 81 is pivoted to the movable housing 88 which surrounds the shaft 38 and-which be described later.

'Ihe push rod 85 is held by a pivot pin 89 in a depending ear 98 of the stirrup 11 so that the stirrup 11 tilts forward or back as the push -rod 85 slides backward or forward. 'Ihus when the push Vrod 85 has been pushed to the left, as in Figure 8, the stirrup 11 and its .control collar 63 are tilted to the right, as shown.

To oppositely tilt the control collar 62 at the same time the stirrup 11 carries a second ear 9| to which is pivoted, at 92, a link 93`pivoted at 94.

to a corresponding ear 95 on. the stirrup arm 13. 'I'hus the two ears 9| and 95 by the link 93 always tilt together.

The movable housing 88 is herein illustrated as an extension of the shiftsleeve 66, and is movable back and forthlto shisft the shift sleeve 66 by operating a handle 96, Figure 1.

N To enablethe handle 96 to shift the shift sleeve 66 longitudinally to alter the pitch of the propeller blades as described above, the handle 96 is pivoted in the housing 88 by a downwardly pro-` jecting stud 91, and carries a cam hub 98 lying between rails 99 on the ilxed bracket |88, so that the housing 88 is forced backward or forward by rotating the handle 9B, Athereby varying thev pitch of the propeller blades.

'I'he housing 88 is` alsorotatable for part of a revolution in the fixed sleeve |8 I which extends out from the xedbracket |88, thus carrying around with it the handle 83 which eiects the varying of propeller blade pitch during each revolution oi' the propellers As a result of carrying the housing 88 around, togetherwith the handle 88 and its connected structures, the stirrups'j12 and 1lA are rotated axially of the shaft with the result that the tilting shown in Figure 8 takes place in another plane.

While the shaft 38 has been described as a drive shaft, it is, .inthe structure shown, not driven directly by the motor diagrammatically shown at. |82, for the reason that the'drive mechanism is shown as driving both the shaft 38 and the drive sleeve |83 of the propeller blades 45 and 86, driving them in opposite directions.

The hubs 41 and 48 of the blades 85 and 156 are shown as journalled in theturned-over |88 edge of a drive'plate or main hub |85, which forms part of the drivev sleeve' |83. I n the form shown the drive sleeve |83 is carried on front and rear vball bearings |86--and |81. having internal races |88 supported on the xed sleeve |8| .carried by the bracket |88. And the drive sleeve |83 is provided with an enlarged internal gear '|84 meshing identical bevel gears H8. The turning shaft M8 carries with it the'transverse shaft i @thus carying around with it the identical bevel gears H6.

The bevel gears 6 turn the bevel gear v-| because opposite bevel gear |3 carries the load of I|1 turning loosely on the motor shaft ||4, said spur gear ||1 meshing with a spur gear ||8 fast on the drive shaft 8l so as to turn the shaft. The shaft 38 is diagrammatically shown as having a ball bearing I9 supported by a thrust plate |28 fast on the fixed sleeve Illi. The drive shaft 38 is also shownas supported in a journal 2| carried in a lug |22 at the outer end of the fixed sleeve |8|, see Figure 5. The lug |22 is fairly narrow to give room for rotating the sleeve 88 to alter the feathering plane of the propeller blades.

For the same reason sleeve 88 is cut away. at |23 to allow the handle 88 to turn with the sleeve 88.

The structure is shown as provided with a streamline cover |24 for hubs and adjacent mechanism of the blades 45` and 46 and rotating with them. The cover |24 is shown as revolving close ly the handle 83 tilts the control collar 63 to the right in Figure 2, causing the blades 45 and i8 to feather at the opposite point in their rev-l olution. The arc 'through which the handle 83 is thrown may vary at will to. vary the amount of feathering.

The point at winch the blades es and 4s feather in their revolution may be angularly turned. by turning the sleeve 88, by either pushing or pulling the handle 88 sidewise, as the case may be. When the sleeve 88 thus turns it turns withit the extensions tland 88, thus turning the stirrups 12 and i1 so that they turn around their pivots 15 and 16 in new planes which set the new planes in which the blades 43 and 45 feather. What has been said about the blades 88 and 45 applies equally to the. blades 8d and 86.

Topermit the sleeve 88 to thus turn, the extensions 81 and-68 are cut away at |26 at the lug |22, see Figures and 5 so that the sleeve rotates, if need be, a little over 188 to alter the plane of feathering. The cut away |26 is long enough to permit. the handle 96 to throw :the sleve 88 to the full distance the handle 96 'can move it,

In order to permit the' links |58 and 59, and 56 and 51 to accurately andsmoothly shiftand hold the respective bails 88, 84, 4|, 82, each link is swivelled on its pivot ,88, 68.

To provide room for the link 99 to operate, it may be carried through an opening |21 inthe extension 8l of the sleeve 88.

In Figure 9 is a diagrammaticaiiy shown the feathering action. of the near propeller blade 34 which, in normal action revolves in the plane of the dot and dash line |38. The propeller blade 38 is seen end on and is shown, diagrammatically as a flat board having a rounded-off leading edge |3| a rounded o' trailing edge |32 in normal forward nflight, to the -ieft in .that figure. In

feathering for upward thrust the blade 34, which* occupied al plane vcorresponding to the normal lineV |38 at the vertical position, has turned to 'the heavy line position |33 of greater pitch, thus vthrusting down a greater area.` of air than it thrusts in the vertical position corresponding turning the propeller blades 45 and 46. For this purposethe bevel gear ||3 is fast to-a spur gearv to the line |38, consequently thrusting the airplane-upward. As the shaft, diagrammatically 'shaft 30. In this horizontal position III it' has turned from normal |30 toward the nio-,pitch ilat position, and is exerting little upward pressure on the air as it rises, withfthe result that the a'irplane isl lifted by the other blade ofthe propeller,

now occupying the position shown foi'I blade I4 in the drawings. t f

The showing in Figure 9 is necessarily diagrammatic and the turning blade 34 instead of really occupying the Aposition |35 has moved into the position |31 shown Vfor the blade 36.

In the meantime-theblades and 4Q of the rear, Vright hand propeller, are turning in the opposite direction with opposite pitch, 'so thatthe nearer blade 45 of that, propeller as rising with ythe minimum'pitch shown at the full line |31, whereby it exerts almost no upwardpressure on the air as it rises, while the further/blade- 46 of that propeller is falling with its maximum pitch as seen at the full line |38, the line ot nornial pitch being indicated at |39 and the line of minimum pitch, which it willassume on rising, indicated at |40. 'Ihe blades 36 and follow the movements of their respective blades 34 and 45 as they are. carried around' by the shaft 30 or driving sleeve 103. f 1 4one positionv of the propeuer blades u anti 4e when exerting an upward thrust is" shown .in Figure 11. Here the blade -45 is standing at an A langle of 30, shown in Figure 12 and the blade 45 is standing at an angle o1' 4, with the result that the blades turning in the direction of the arrow exert a lifting eiiect; obtained by the tilting of .the collar 63.

As the blades tum from the Figure 11 position to the Figure.l4`position they assume a normal f is pitch, illustrated'hereas 17 in Figures 15 and 16. vIn Figure 1'7 the collar 63 is shown as turned tothe right with the result that the blades 45 and 45, still turning lin the same direction, are not altered at the horizontalposition from the nor mal pitch shown in Figures 18v and 19 as 17. But as the blades 45 'and 46 turn-tothe vertical. position of Figure 20, the blade- 4,5 turns toward the horizontal and the blade 4.5 turns'its leadingV edge away from the air it strikes and the blade 46 turnsitsifleading edge A|50 almost edge-4 -wise, shown as`4 from the iiat, to theair it strikes'.A As 'a consequence the resistance of the air to the/ ropeller blade 45 pushes the shaft 30, in said ii ure, toward the right.J

Thus the puce by feathering. action, or by varying the pitch to reversing if need be, with 'the aid of properly` directable ailerons v| 5|, see

Figure 1,v locatedas usual at thebackof the wings -,|52, I nay b'e able to bring down the airplane safely, even though it is Without any horizontal velocity. An aileron '|5|, capable of ,swingingup vertically ias the stationary airplane settles through the air, may be swung to horizontal to arrest railing, while\the -propellers may exertv LAu'pwardszr.downwardithrust as needed, or even a diagonally upward or downward thrust, if. need be. w

- The shifting nf blade pitch to vary the pitch withbuti'eathring is illustrated in Figure 10 in lwhich -the line |4| may represent the normal pitch or the blaue 34, which happens to be 28 'inthe diaphragni shown. When the pitch is shittplane wing behind the the airplane as it travels to form a fulcrum around which the plane turns in a vertical plane,

Y v a,osa,7oo

.44,shitts from the line |45 tothe line |46 and the blade 45 shifts fromthe line..|41 to the line |48, all by a single operation ofthe shift sleeve'88.

It will be noted that provision ismade for altering the pitch by the sleeve 88 sufliciently to reversethe pitch, thus enabling the propeller,-

without gear shifting, to arrest is useful especially in landing.V Having thus described certain embodiments oi the invention, what is claimed is: y

I '1; A propeller device including a shaft, radial y the airplane, as

lziearings on the shaft,.propeller blades having hubs rotatable in said bearings, a member slidable axially of the shaft, a bail fast on each hub with,-

ln its bearing and journalled on an opposite hub,

a link from the slidable member pivotally con-l neofed to'each bail, a bearing member surrounding the' shaft on which the slidable member is Journalled, -and 4means for moving the bearing member axially of the shaft to cause the 'slidable member to slide to turn the 0I their blades. v

2. In an airplane, a pair ofv oppositely rotating propellers, having blades, means for varying the pltchof the propeller blades in several planes as they turn so as to have one pitch at one point in their revolution and another pitch at another point with `the result that .the blades may exert a direct upward or downward thrust, and an airpropellers for supporting 3. In a propeller device including two hubs, two propellers having opposite pitchesv but turning on a common axis,`a single motor for the two propellers, and a differential gearing driven by the motor and driving one propeller by one side of the 'gearing and the other propeller by the other side oi' the gearing.

4. In` a propeller device including two hubs, two propellershaving opposite pitches but turning on a common axis, a single motor forv the two vpropellers, a diiferential gearing driven by hubs to vary the pitch the motor and driving one propeller by one side lot the gearing and the other propellerV by the other side of the gearing, and means for varying 'the pltchof each propeller.

, 5. In a propeller device including two hubs, two propellers having opposite pitches but turning'on acommon axis, a single motor for the K two propellers having opposite pitches but turning on a common axis; a .single motor for the two propellers, a. differential. gearing driven by the motor and driving one propeller by one side .or the gearing and the other propeller by the other sideof the gearing, a manually operated device for varying the pitch of the propellers together, .and a manually operated device for variably feather-lng thepropellers as they turn.

7. In a propeller device including two hubs,

two propellershaving opposite pitches, a` shaft carrying one hub auditsl propeller, a sleeve revolubie around the lshaft carrying the other hub and its propeller. a control sleeve between thev shaft and the'revoluble sleeve. a differential drive two propellers, [a differential gearing driven by the motor and driving one propeller by one side -two propellers having opposite carrying one hub and its propeller, a sleeve revoluble around the shaft carrying the other hub and.

its propeller, a control sleevev between the shaft and the revoluble sleeve, a differential drive common to the revoluble sleeve and shaft, and means carried by the control sleeve for variably feathering the propellers at a point determined by the sleeve.

9. In a propeller device lincluding two hubs, pitches, -a shaft carrying one hub and its propeller, a .sleeve revoluble around the shaft carrying the other hub and its propeller, a control sleeve between the shaft and the revoluble sleeve, a differential drive common to the revoluble sleeve and shaft, and devices carried by the control sleeve for varying the pitch of the vpropellers and for variably feathering the propellers at a point determined by the rotation of the control sleeve.

10. In a propeller device the combination with a drive shaft-and a hub, of a rotatable drive sleeve `and a hub, a propeller, on each hub, a device at each hub for feathering its propeller, a journal for each of said devices, a control sleev a handle for varably feathering the propellers by Vshifting their journals, and a handle for turning the control sleeve to rotate the ,point .at which they feather. A 4.

' 11. In a propeller device the combinationwith a drive shaft and a hub, of a rotatable drive sleeve and a hub, a propeller on each hub, devices at each hub for varying its propeller pitch, a journal for each of said devices, a control sleeve shiftable along the shaft to vary the-propeller ptches, a connection for tilting the journals to cause the propellers to feather, and a device for rotating the sleeve to rotate the point at which the propellers feather.

JOSEPH FRANKLIN BROWN. 

